English dictionaries have translated word ‘Jihad’ as the ‘holy war’, which is
wrong. Jihad has five categories namely educational, political, spiritual, welfare
and defensive. Jihad represents an extreme effort undertaken to save humanity and
not to kill it. Every action taken to achieve welfare of humanity is called Jihad
including the struggle to eliminate ill-commanding self and base desires, greed
and avarice.
Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri expressed these views while delivering
his keynote telephonic speech to a seminar organized on the subject of Jihad under
the aegis of Pakistan Awami Tehreek. Faiz-ur-Rehman Durrani, Raja Jamil Ajmal, Anwar
Akhtar Advocate, Anwar Akhtar Advocate, Jawad Hamid, G.M. Malik and Qazi Faiz-ul-Islam
were also present on the occasion.
Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that there are 35 Quranic verses that mention
the word ‘Jihad’ or its equivalents, but words ‘Jihad’ and ‘killing’ have not been
mentioned together in a single verse. There are only four verses of Sura Tawba that
talk of defensive war. Not a single verse, he emphasized, was revealed on the Holy
Prophet (SAW) during the Makki period and all verses were revealed in Madina after
migration. No permission was given to launch an armed defensive war in Makkah.
Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that all people irrespective of their religion,
colour, creed and region should know that Islam is another name of peace, tolerance,
understanding and offers the way of dialogue to settle disputes. It strongly discourages
militancy, terrorism and extremism and recommends the employment of peaceful means
for resolution of intractable issues based on shared human values of love, peace,
harmony and interfaith dialogue. Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the concept
of Jihad has got disfigured in the present-day world. The westerners equate Jihad
with merciless killing and violent fights. “This limited understanding of this humane
concept is misplaced and totally wrong. The reality is other way round. The literal
meaning of word Jihad does not have even a faint acquaintance with fight and violence
according to the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunna,” he explained.
Dr Muhammmad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that we would have to work hard to clarify the
difference between perception and reality and let the world know about it. “The
leading Muslims including politicians, religious scholars, thinkers, intellectuals,
and opinion leaders need to come forward and play their part in allaying these misconceptions,”
he concluded.
